


Hearing the devil's own trill

by joouheika



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-19
Updated: 2015-02-19
Packaged: 2018-03-13 17:35:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3390263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joouheika/pseuds/joouheika
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Good night and good morning my prince. (sequel to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/3256754">Having the devil's own luck</a>) [No Name AU]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hearing the devil's own trill

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to my readers who requested a sequel and to my sisters whose fault it is for the conception of this AU

Mikasa looks like she wants to commit murder.

She’s been wearing such a face all day, ever since Eren came into the ramen shop for work.

He’d thought she’d be in a better mood since it’d just be the two of them running the shop until closing, but he hadn’t taken into consideration various factors. To him it was all good things: the commercial of No Name’s latest single on the TV for the customers being on the moment she turned it on, the paper that's delivered featuring on its front page the recent No Name live show being a phenomenal success in the city (No Name is from their town so they would make the front page despite being out of town ‘news’), Eren had been humming the very song that had been featured in the commercial when he’d come in to top it off. 

She is probably at her limit.

Work had been going well once the TV had been turned off, the paper stuffed into Eren’s work locker (by Eren, distressed Mikasa had tried to use it as lining for when they peeled vegetables), and he’d decided to hum a lesser known No Name song… to appease her. One of his childhood friends, his neighbor, classmate, a family friend- Mikasa Ackerman is almost (and she likes to carry herself as such) like a sister to him. She’s been aware and bearing with his obsession with No Name for a long while, has warned him about dedicating himself to a rock band (though they are more than that… he’d explained), has worried over his well being (all those late night shows, he’s still in high school), and has for some reason cultivated an insatiable hatred for them for how long… probably as long as he’s been into No Name. She’s been considerate about showing to what extent she dislikes No Name (he always figures it’s because she doesn’t like their genre of music) but today even he can sense she’s ready to pop.

The meat has been cut finely and quickly. Most of the food prep not finished from the night before she’d done with scary efficiency this morning. With her not so good mood he’s left her to cooking and he the register. They switch depending on who else is working with them and the flow of the business. Today has been steady, as typical of Thursday.

Mikasa’s mood seems to better with each passing hour and round closing he’s sure they can bid each other good night and it really will be as such… those are his thoughts until it’s half past an hour before they close that their last customers walk in.

Eren looks over from the counters he was wiping to welcome them in.

Glancing from the customers in surprise to stark alarm at Mikasa who has dropped the pot of thankfully only a little, cooled water. It’s unusual for her to make any mistakes but seeing who has walked in… a very tall figure, dressed warmly in layers of brown and burgundy, his scraggly beard covered as half his face is from the face mask he’s sniffing behind is Mike. He has a cold it looks. Next to him, stretching from the long car ride, and soon looking around in barely contained excitement, is Hanji, a winter coat thrown over her button up shirt and pleated skirt of maroon and black. Besides her in a grey hoodie, the hood up, shadowing sour features and slacks too short on the ankle for this cold weather is Levi who is tucking his car keys into his pocket before he brushes past his two other band members. Walking right up to Eren-

“It’s fucking cold outside.”

Is his way of greeting before he grabs Eren by the waist and drawing Eren towards him- 

There’s a flash of silver between them as Mikasa comes up to the two, the knife she’d been sharpening slanted to Levi’s face in the slightest of angles.

“If you want to warm up, _most respectable guest_ there is tea and a whole menu of ramen for you to choose from.”

Levi looks from the knife between him and Eren to Mikasa.

“Oh? But I was interested in dessert first, or I can’t? Miss.”

“It’s Mikasa. We don’t serve dessert here. But I must let it be known, dessert at this hour is unbeneficial to your health. It is also a food violation to eat dessert in such a manner as you intend at this location at this time. Unfortunate for you. Mister.”

Her tone of voice suggests she feels it quite the opposite of unfortunate.

Levi leans towards her as he speaks, his interest piqued. His hand still at Eren’s waist.

“It’s Levi. Then I might have to have carry out then.”

“I highly suggest against it. It may spoil the food.”

Eren is glancing from Levi to Mikasa. The way they are glaring each other down… if he doesn’t do something he’s sure the shop is going to be a wreck-

Hanji butts in, not able to cut the tension but only hover through it, without a care.

“Ahhhh! I’m soooo hungry! Eren! What do you recommend?”

Eren blinks at Hanji, he still glances warily from Mikasa and Levi who haven’t stopped their battle of glares. He sighs.

“Shall I tell you the special today Miss Hanji?”

\--

Hanji is having the special. Tanpopo ramen that Eren has put extra bean sprouts into just for her, as they’re her favourite. They are the very not favourite of Levi who won’t eat bean sprouts (or mushrooms) because they “taste like dirt”. Hanji is happily crunching through the sprouts, slurping up the noodles, soup spurting about while she sings some song about how these beans make her sunny, her sunny sonny bean, isn’t that so catchy? Levi kicks her shin multiple times under the counter they’re sitting at, on various instances to warn her about being such a fucking slob next to him. Eren gives her extra napkins.

Mike is having a spicy miso ramen, to help abate his cold. To give him anything other than spicy he’d not be able to taste, but he’s not used to eating such hot food (usually too sensitive for his nose) and even with the cold he’s sweating a bit over the heat of it. Sniffling.

Eren is the one cooking food. Mikasa has been cooking all day so he figures she’d like the break… that and he’s sure she knows… that their guests… are No Name. Sans the bandages.

If she didn’t know before and just thought they were really “only some friends” of his then Hanji gives it away yelling “THERE WE ARE!” when she flips on the TV and there they indeed are on a rerun of some game show they were brief guests of. It’d been fun she said but Levi gets sooooooo stupidly competitive about that sort of shit though he refuses! To admit it! She loves getting competitive too but with Levi it got kinda scary you know? And then she was competing against Mike too! Who was really good at that sorta thing. She wasn’t “playing dirty” like Levi had accused her of, like he had room to talk- you gotta use your brains in that sorta thing so…

For Levi, Eren has made shiro tonkotsu ramen. There’s milk in the soup and typically there isn’t… that much pork, but for today Eren has piled up the meat for Levi. As a way of apology for Mikasa’s hostile actions of earlier. Eren is typically careful of the balance of nutrition when he brings them meals (saying they can’t only have snacks, sport drinks, and meat!) so this is an unusual treat that speaks volumes.

As Levi starts to eat, his usual measured neat at first. It’s a muffled “not bad” that Eren barely catches through his stuffed gob when asking with horrendous timing if the food is any good.

As they are the last customers in the shop, Mikasa puts up the closed sign and locks the door to ensure no one else comes in and with Eren’s help they start cleaning the dishes and the store. Most of the food prep done by Mikasa already when Eren had been cooking. 

When No Name is done eating, Eren wants to treat the three but they all insist on paying. Mikasa runs the register, making sure Mike gets all his change (he’d given her too much money, must be the cold), that Hanji signs her receipt. She’s talking a mile a minute, asking Mikasa all these questions about herself and Eren, the shop, all of which Mikasa replies with cool formality though she isn’t at all hostile to Hanji like she’d been to Levi. Hanji asking more depending on what answers to what questions interest her. Like how long had she known Eren? How did she know Eren? Mikasa explains- Eren’s mother had been a famous chef on that cooking show “Some Like It Hot” (retired since she’d gotten married) and that was how this ramen shop had gotten its popularity… since Eren’s mother had recommended it being she did love the food and the shop owner’s daughter (Mikasa’s mother) is her best friend-

She explains that’s why she has known Eren the _longest out of everyone_ and that if anything happens to him _she would be sure to retaliate_. Hanji has signed her name more than one time, using the assortment of pens within her reach. Forgetting she already signed, being engrossed by their conversation.

It’s only when Eren is walking with No Name back to Levi’s car that Levi is looking over his receipt, a most dark look that causes Eren to look over his shoulder at the receipt as well- Mikasa… he’s going to talk to Mikasa about this!

She’d charge Levi for every piece of pork in the bowl. It was supposed to be charged by a set of three yet she’d not gone gentle. Eren is starting to turn around (angrily) to go tell her (angrily) to refund some of Levi’s money but he grabs Eren by the collar of his shirt.

“Leave it.”

Besides, all the money goes to Eren’s work don’t it?

They walk to the nearby park Levi had parked his car at its parking. He hadn’t want to park on the narrow streets of where the ramen shop is… as the nearby bars open with the later hour, it’s become crowded. Not being in the throng of everyone is ideal. This is their hometown, it’d be best to go unrecognised.

Hanji is helping a drowsy Mike (he’d just taken some more medicine) into the back of Levi’s car, getting in aside him, leaving the front seat for Eren. Surprised when she sees him not get into the car but round over to Levi’s side. Levi rolls the window down. 

Hanji voices her surprise.

“Eh?! Eren aren’t you coming back with us?”

Eren dips his head into the car through the open window.

“Sorry. I can’t, I have school tomorrow. Uhm-”

Eren has drawn back a little and he is back to looking at Levi as he typically is.

“-are you free this Saturday? Mr Levi.”

Hanji can hear a pained gasp as Levi pinches at Eren’s cheek for that suffix. Levi’s rubbing at that tender spot despite what he’d just done.

“I have some things to do but they probably won’t take long. Wanna go out? Eren.”

Eren nods, frowning. The frown on his face irritating Levi a little. Eren didn’t like what he just said, since ‘probably’ typically was ‘inevitably’. There’d been a number of mornings he didn’t want to leave his warm bed, warmed by Eren still sleeping as he’d been called in by their stupid licensor for some whatever shit he’d prefer not to deal with first thing in the morning- but had to. Leaving Eren at his place, he’d gotten some rather cross texts or even worse Eren ignoring him as retribution.

They discuss their plans a little more. Levi determined to make sure not to give an excuse for Eren to ignore him this time, given how much time Eren has spent very much doing anything but that.

There’s some crinkling. Beneath Eren’s hand when he places it against the leather of the headrest of Levi’s seat as he leans in, his other hand on the top of the cold metal of the car where the window could come up. His face near Levi's.

There’s some wet sounds, as they kiss. Eren’s hand comes down from the seat to Levi’s shoulder as Levi clasps the back of Eren’s head to draw him closer. Eren’s voice is breathless as they part mouths, he tells Levi-

“Your dessert.”

Waving bye as he leans out of the car and heads back to the ramen shop. Hanji watches as Levi looks after Eren, not turning away even as Eren is out of his line of sight. His window is still down. Hanji is getting a little cold though it’s probably the cold Levi needs.

Hanji mentions as such and Levi tells her to shut the fuck up.

Some more time passes before she inquires if Levi can’t drive with his boner.

She buckles herself in with her own seat belt, the one next to her and even Mike’s as Levi gets out of the car to open the door of the side she’s sitting and tries to throw her the fuck out of the car. She’s bracing her feet on the outer edges of the door frame. She’d ask for Mike’s help but he’d fallen asleep so she’s clutching onto the seat, the straps, his arm (he’s heavy), whatever she can in hurried motion, as Levi tries to drag her out. She’d kick him in the crotch but then he really would earnestly throw her out of the car. And no trains are running this late!

It’s too bad Eren must be back at the ramen shop because she’s yelling for him to put down this beast of his that he brought up.

\--

Levi had told Eren he’d come pick him up.

He hears hurried steps behind the door only a few seconds after he’s rung the bell. 

It’s Eren who answers. Levi is… quite early so he’s still not ready… and to be honest he’d overslept... or so goes his story. Levi is brought to the living room where Eren sets out some tea for him. The fragrance is familiar.

“Keemun? Is it.”

Eren is standing as Levi sits and drinks the tea.

“That is correct.”

Levi takes another sip.

“Rose petals?”

“…is it not to your liking?”

“…it will do. I preferred it without them. Like the tea you gave me before.”

At the signing.

Eren is listening intently, his hands fidgeting a little from embarrassment.

“I’ve already drank all that you gave me. Eren. If you could give me more-”

“Yes! Of course. I will ask my father. He was the one who bought it since it’s from overseas. Do you mind waiting?”

Levi shakes his head, mulling over the effort Eren went to get him tea he’d think he’d like.

He’s nearly drank his cup empty when Eren leaves for the kitchen, finishing what he’d been preparing of the picnic basket he’d been working on. He washes his hands and returns to Levi, filling Levi’s cup again without being asked to.

Eren can tell, Levi likes the tea more than he’s letting on.

He’s returned from the kitchen to fill Levi’s cup… and to give Levi something else. It’s wrapped in red paper, a white bow at the top. 

“I thought I’d save this to give to you on our picnic but it’d be nice to have something to go along with the tea wouldn’t it sir? So, if you do not mind, will you accept this?”

Eren holds out the gift to Levi.

Levi takes it, opening it-

Buttery cookies with rose jam in the centre, shaped as stars. There’s chocolates too, shaped into hearts. Levi bites into a chocolate first, looking almost in surprise at Eren who suddenly and swiftly leans towards him, in almost panic. He hadn’t been expecting Levi to eat the small chocolates in more than one bite. There’s filling in them, chocolate sauce that spills out, dribbling down his mouth. He’s little reason to scowl about the mess so long as Eren cleans it up- he does, with his tongue, bending forward to lick at Levi’s mouth, his chin-

The chocolate is cleaned off but still Eren licks at his mouth. Levi kisses him so he can taste how sweet his work is. When Eren draws back, mouth bruised-

Levi asks what he’s been wondering for some time.

“Are your parents home?”

It takes a few moments for Eren to come out from his daze.

“Ah? What? Oh no, my father is with my mother at the moment. They should return some time tonight. They were glad when I said I was going to leave the house to them.”

Levi nods.

Eren still has some packing to do. Levi hadn’t told him before but he tells him now, they’ll be going out and staying somewhere elsewhere than his place tonight, so Eren should dress warmly and pack his bag accordingly. Eren kisses his cheek before telling him he will do so, and then rather shamefully admitting that he still needs to shower.

There’s still more tea in the pot which Levi helps himself to. Watching Eren (and more specifically his ass) as he disappears down the hall to his room to finish preparations. He must have over exceeded the time he thought he’d have to prepare, he really is a deep sleeper, hard to wake… then Levi had come to get him early… and he’d gone to all the trouble for some reason to make these really elaborate sweets though such a thing was not beyond him. Levi has no objections to Eren baking him sweets like he had when he’d merely been just a fan and not his boyfriend.

They’re delicious.

What had Hanji been saying? That Eren’s mother was a famous chef or something? Between that and working in a ramen shop… the ramen Eren had served him had been delicious too. Levi has already eaten the entirety of his gift. The tea pot empty. He goes to heat some water in the kettle on the stove. Eren might have wanted some tea.

There’s more tea made, and Eren still hasn’t come out from his room. Growing impatient, Levi decides to find Eren. He’s only been here a couple times, the first time the door answered by his mother, Eren not in. The other time Eren had been present and he’d been welcomed in and tea had been served. He’d met Eren’s mother both times. It’s from Eren’s mother that not only Eren’s learnt how to cook but Levi saw that Eren gets his looks. He’s never met Eren’s father, whom he only knows about from family photos in the living room and Eren occassionally speaking of. Beyond that-

It’s fairly obvious which room Eren’s is, there’s a name sign that must have been there since he’d been a small kid hanging on the front of the door. Levi turns the handle and feeling no resistance of a lock goes inside.

\--

He hears water running from behind the bathroom door in Eren’s bedroom. Still showering then. He closes Eren’s bedroom door behind him, looking around him. No Name posters, No Name news clippings, all lovingly cared for and plastered over the walls. The bookcase is full of photobooks of them and magazines of their interviews, their songs. DVDs and CDs are in order by release date, there’s doubles. Some for collection purposes, others for the intent of use. And well used, well listened they are. An old but well taken care of stereo system is on low volume for an older album of theirs. Most of the furniture is black, the bedding of grey. Their colours. On the shelves are various band merch, light sticks, head bands, bags, and wristlets. 

Levi sees Eren’s partially packed bag on the floor. The bag is untidy compared to Eren’s room. The areas of which that aren’t untidy being the desk where school books and his book bag are. Some of the clothes by the closet are on the floor. There’s a music player on the bed, the headphones not tangled but jumbled from being tossed carelessly on the bedding. The headphones and jacket on the music player are of No Name too. 

Levi goes over to the closet and picks up the clothes, probably reject on to be packed- being clean, Levi puts them back up in the closet. He sees hanging outside the closet Eren’s school uniform… aside it a dark blazer. Ironed and well kept unlike a lot of the other contents of the closet. Levi looks it over a little more before moving back to Eren’s bag and maybe put it in better order, he’ll be sure to get after him for its state once he leaves the shower. Levi is wondering why such a big bag is necessary when he sees on the bed, turned over, black and silver- a large pillow, near body length that strikes him as almost familiar. He’s about to pick it up when he hears the bathroom door click open.

Steam comes from out past the door frame momentarily as Eren steps out of the bathroom, a towel over his hair as he dries it, wearing nothing else but some tight blue boxer shorts.

The towel falls to his shoulders as Eren is startled to see- almost distraught-

“W-w-what are you doing in my room?!”

Levi sits and leans a little back on the bed, crossing his legs.

“Quite a collection you have here Eren. If Hanji and Mike were here it’d be complete won’t it?”

Eren’s face is white in horror at first, expression like he’d just swallowed a large pill.

He’s fidgeting, biting at his hand as he mumbles off various No Name merchandise he actually doesn’t have so no, Levi is mistaken there. That and how if Levi is here he doesn’t need anything else… all the while Eren does this Levi is looking over Eren’s body, his bare legs and chest, there’s still some water that slides over his skin, having dripped from his damp, darker from the moisture hair. Levi wants to call Eren over to him and fuck him on his own bed. Since, Eren doesn’t seem all too embarrassed by the fact he’s almost naked in front of Levi, but more embarrassed by the fact that Levi is sitting on his bed. 

Eren turns away when he reaches his dresser, almost trembling as he puts his clothes on under Levi’s stare. He can feel Levi’s eyes raking up and down his body even as he pulls a sweater over it. Remembering he should dress warmly but forgetting this is the sweater that’s a bit loose on him and typically leaves his neck cold, always sliding about his shoulders.

He’s pulling on some jeans, buttoning them, picking out socks when he hears Levi start to sing, low and quiet, but louder than the reason he’s singing this particular song- it’s come on as the next track on the stereo Eren had left playing. 

Eren hops around as he puts on his socks. He hurriedly finishes putting them on to watch Levi sing. Levi with a finger tapping on his knee to the rest of the music, his eyes away from Eren surprisingly, glancing back seeing Eren is fully dressed- he looks a little disappointed. He stops singing and Eren tells him he needs a little more time to pack so if Levi could wait outside a little longer…

\--

They’ve gone to the park and had a picnic.

It was rather chilly and not many people were out even in town. So it is like they have the whole place to themselves. After eating the lunch Eren had prepared, roasted chicken sandwiches with lettuce and tomato, some potato salad and cherry tarts (once again the shape of hearts, his mother had been happy to help him he said- she’d not done this sort of thing for the occasion herself in a while she’d said), the tea of before prepared and kept hot in thermoses. It’s a little chilly by the riverside but relaxing. They’d sat on the picnic blanket Levi had brought. He’d also brought napkins and other cleaning tissues just in case. They talk about what they’d seen in town, having stopped to window shop along the way. Levi had gotten annoyed by Eren’s shivering and had bought him a scarf to cover his bare neck. It’s keeping him warm, done up in a bowed knot at the back but ruining Levi’s view. They talk about No Name. That interview Levi didn’t want to do that kept pestering him about his love life. Eren talks about how science had been his worst subject despite his interest but Hanji was helping him with the homework. This sort of conversation. That sort of conversation. When done eating they clean up and put the picnic basket back in the car. 

Walking along the riverside, a fence stretches between them and the field aside them, soon, they are past the woods of the park.

The city and the bridge of the road that goes over the river far in the distance. Eren is walking ahead of Levi knowing this area better than he.

Despite that Levi had found him that time, when he’d come to get him right after his show, to scold him for not appearing sooner before him as the lottery winner… how had Levi gotten to him so quickly? Is what Eren wants to know. It is difficult to get around to this place… if you don’t know the way… and since Levi had just been up on stage…

“I climbed the fence.”

Levi tells him, expression deadpan. It is fact and there is no shame in his answer. It is the truth.

Eren looks up at the fence. It’s a really high fence. He envisions Levi climbing it… all for the purpose of coming to see him. Eren walks up to the fence, the metallic smell familiar, and not the only thing that’s starting to make him feel a little flushed and glad of the cold breeze.

He puts his hands up to the wire and turning to look behind him, sees Levi gazing at him.

Levi says, still matter of fact.

“I got tired of waiting. I’d been looking for you all that while and still you didn’t appear before me, even though you had before, without fail. When I saw you here, outside the fence, I realised I was trapped.”

Eren replies, the breath in his lungs feeling heavy like his chest- “Trapped?”

That had been what Eren had felt, with Levi so far away, not being close enough to fully feel his music. It’d been hard, but then Eren couldn’t go because he’d been hard. He’d wanted to be by Levi, Levi whose voice made him feel like not even the sky is the limit.

Levi has walked up to him, pinning him to the fence. A hand on either side of Eren as Eren turns completely to face him.

Eren can feel Levi’s body against his, hard, Levi is hard-

Levi’s face is close to his, his breath on his chin, his mouth.

“We’re on the same side. Eren. So that’s why I climbed the fence.”

Seeing Eren’s gaze, that gaze he’d been trapped by, enraptured with, so far from he, when he’d longed for it- remembering that time-

Levi is kissing him hard against the fence, the sky in the grasp of dusk as it’d been before the other time Levi had been on this side of the fence with him. Eren kisses him back just as hard, clutching onto him as Levi grinds his hips against Eren’s, feeling that Eren is hard beneath him as well. His erection straining the front of his trousers as it had before, and on that night when Levi took him. Eren is grinding against him desperately, as he often does right after a show. Should Eren be there Levi has to meet with him afterwards, in his room, the backroom, his car, a hotel. Eren’s eyes on him as he sings. Levi watching him the whole while, that molten beautiful gaze- it’s more than he can take sometimes. He has to fuck Eren immediately afterwards. Eren always comes to him, always willing, and needy, sometimes their clothes coming off with ease, sometimes it can’t be dealt with because there isn’t as much space in the back of his car and they fuck in them. Levi can never decide what he likes better- Eren beneath him moaning and crying from pleasure, eyes still moist and voice still raw from the show or Eren above him, vocal and trembling as he tries to ride Levi despite his exhaustion.

Levi can’t choose if you asked him, so long as it’s Eren- 

The fence clanks, chimes, as Eren turns around and clings to it. Levi pulling down Eren’s trousers, his boxers. Unbuttoning and unzipping the front of his trousers to fuck Eren against the fence, hands clasped over his hips. Eren rubs his erection against the metal of the fence as Levi moves in and out of him. Levi groaning, untying the scarf at Eren’s neck so he can bite at the back of it. Eren is on his toes as he arches back to sit against Levi’s cock. In a way Eren is beneath him and riding him- both, both is good, he can choose both can’t he?

Levi’s cum is inside him even as they’re back in Levi’s car and Eren frets, shouldn’t he have cleaned his own cum off the fence?

Levi pats at his head, stroking his hair, even with his eyes on the road as he drives.

Eren biting his lower lip at that being the answer he receives.

\--

It’s unusual for them to be staying at a hotel when it’s not after a show or some event. Levi drops Eren’s bag by his own aside the bed as Eren looks about the room, sitting on the bed. It’s the top floor and the windows are large and clear, they overlook some of the buildings. However, had they turned the lights on or this been day instead of night, Eren might be worried someone would see them.

But a room like this, where you can see much of the sky, is rather peaceful. While they can’t see the stars as they had in the mountains the first time they’d kissed- its vastness- its freedom still carried that nuance, that feeling. The room isn’t all too warm, not having been occupied previously; there’s not a need to turn the heater on, not with how they are.

Eren sets aside his scarf. It falls from the bed to the floor as he pulls off his jeans and boxers, wearing nothing but his sweater as he reaches back to pull that off him as well, hair a little mussed from the action as his sweater joins the other clothes on the floor. He stretches, perfectly fine with Levi watching him here. When Levi approaches him, he accepts Levi’s hungry kiss over his mouth, but pushes him away when Levi reaches for his cock.

Eren complains about how Levi is still wearing his clothes and how, they should take a shower first. Eren isn’t clean enough for Levi, not after they did it in the park so-

Levi pushes Eren back against the bed and spreads his legs, kneeling between them, not on the bed himself. He spreads the cheeks of Eren’s ass and looking at his asshole, sees his cum from before still inside Eren, seeping out a little. It’s only warm from having been inside Eren this whole while. Levi leans forward and licks at it. Cleaning as much as Eren’s hole as he can but there’s too much of himself, and he’d much rather taste Eren.

Eren clamps his legs together once Levi stands. Levi taking off his clothes as he looks at Eren who’s shuddering atop of the sheets, all his skin flushed, and hot.

“Eren. I told you before didn’t I? About how I want you to create a song for us as only one other person has done it before?”

Eren is nodding, watching as Levi moves to the stereo system in this room. Levi puts in a CD, one taken from Eren’s room. The self made one, that he’d signed. The only song from this album that’s known to the public was the first to be on radio, was the first Eren heard at a live show, and it had been before anything- Eren’s first love.

It plays familiarly like a lullaby despite it being anything such- “Offer Up Your Heart”, the song Erwin had composed.

“The composer of this song- he had been our manager. He couldn’t sing or play any instrument that well but he was able to write lyrics. He wrote the lyrics for this song before he knew what melody he wanted the lyrics sung to.”

Levi is walking back towards the bed, sitting upon it as Eren rolls onto his side, listening, his gaze intense as it always is on Levi, especially when Levi speaks of No Name.

“He actually was the one who created the band. Mike is a friend of his, and Hanji had been his lab partner in chemistry. I had been a lower classman to them all, that he just happened to meet because that shitty pair of glasses had invited me to karaoke one night. She’d been plastered off her ass that time, but had insisted to Erwin that I could sing.”

How Levi knew Hanji is they’d been neighborhood friends, like Eren and Mikasa.

“He’d created us and set everything up for us and when it came our time to fly he left us to pursue other goals. That’s the truest reason why our band is called ‘No Name’. We had no name in high school when we played, but we all figured when the time came for us to debut to the public after graduation that Erwin would choose for us what name we would have.”

Eren rolls onto his back and Levi leans over him, touching his chest, down to his stomach, stroking it and watching it tremble beneath his touch-

“But he left without giving us a name. In a way he had freed us of him by allowing us to make our own choice. But we were angry with him at the time. That’s why the version of this song you hear now is different from the one we put on the album once it was under license. It’s so stupid, since this is the one that played on the radio… the first one you heard us play, right… the first one you fell in love with… Eren.”

Levi is cupping the side of his face, looking into his eyes, staring into them, boring into them, wanting them, wanting something for once Eren can say he’s not all too sure- Levi is telling him all this-

“I hate that man. Erwin Smith was his name. He had your heart before I did. I will never forgive him for that, more than him fucking off to do his own thing.”

Eren has pulled Levi’s hand from his face to his hand, holding it over his heart as they lie together in bed.

“What are you saying Levi? And you’re always telling me to think before I speak. It was your voice that freed me. It is you who is my liberator. Do you want more?”

Levi’s fingers are over Eren’s heart, coveting as he leans forward to kiss Eren.

“I want to hear it, the song you made for me.”

Levi draws Eren to him roughly, as if he will enter him again soon but Eren presses Levi away.

“Sorry. I still haven’t thought of anything yet.”

“There’s no time to waste, why do you think I climbed that fence? Eren.”

Eren is frowning, brow furrowed in thought. Levi kisses at the creases of his brow. Edging closer to Eren, but Eren realises Levi’s sudden gentleness is to coax him-

“…if we’re going to do it without bathing first, y-you should… use a condom. There’s… some in my bag.”

For a moment Levi looks like he might refuse Eren’s suggestion, but it’s Eren who is being considerate of him so he gets up from the bed and crouches by Eren’s bag. Opening it up with the intent to find these condoms Eren has packed. They almost never use them-

He doesn’t find them, instead he pulls out, smashed inside what he thought had been too big a pack for their one night outing, that pillow he’d seen on Eren’s bed right before Eren had gotten out of the shower. Black and silver, in a pattern that mimics the look of bandages… like the ones they of No Name wear. He sees Eren has half risen from the bed, on the palms of his hands, uncertain to move any more. Levi looks past the pillow to see Eren’s mortified face.

Wondering what the cause of that reaction is… Levi turns the pillow over.

There’s a loud thump as Eren tries to get out of the bed as fast as possible, but it’s too late.

Levi is once again reminded why he should strangle Hanji upon first sight.

This pillow is that extra prize she had sent Eren for being the winner of the lottery.

When he looks from the pillow to Eren again- Eren is still on the floor but has piled almost all of the bedding from the bed to wrap over himself. His muffled screams articulate his horror.

“Eren. Come out.”

The screaming stops but trembling is taken up. Eren is that embarrassed and won’t even let Levi see his face.

If Eren won’t come out then…

“Care to explain why you have this?”

Eren can’t see Levi but Levi is probably crossing his arms.

“Eren.”

No response.

“Eren if you don’t answer me I’m going to throw this pillow down the trash chute.”

It’s only when Levi starts to walk away that Eren moves. Grabbing onto his legs and knocking him down- Levi is swearing, this is some bullshit Hanji would pull. Eren definitely needs to stop hanging around her so much. Levi’s look is mirroring Mikasa’s of days ago, one of utmost murder, the stupid pillow grabbed onto while he’d hit the floor. It’s wedged between them as Eren tries to take it from him, sheets still hung over his head and shoulders, in the dark, he’s like some kind of tearful naked ghost. Levi won’t relinquish his grip on the pillow, so he’s lying with his back to the floor with Eren atop of him. Eren is pinning him down and clutching the pillow to his breast like it’s his first born child.

Levi hates the pillow even more.

Eren’s voice is rough.

“You can’t! Please do not throw my prize away sir! I won it! It’s mine!”

Eren sitting on him, the pillow wrapped in his arms, pressed between his legs, up against his soft thighs. Through those tears Levi almost swears is a glare… it is… definitely a glare, as Eren possessively holds that pillow that has a picture of _him on it goddammit how is he the original losing to a fucking pillow_ to his naked body as he tries not to sniff too much from his sudden bout of panicked angry crying.

Levi is pissed.

“Why can’t I throw it out? I’m right here ain’t I? Why do you need a pillow with a picture of _me_ on it anyway?”

Eren is pressing his face to it, his cum filled ass sitting atop of Levi’s erection as he squirms above him, holding that pillow to him even tighter.

“…I got it… before we got together Levi. And so while I don’t… need it as much anymore… we’re still not always together right? So when you’re not with me…”

Levi’s voice is ice cold.

“So when I’m not with you you masturbate with that pillow do ya? Perverted brat.”

Levi starts to rise, despite Eren pressing upon him, his hands are currently occupied with the pillow… his arms too, how often has Eren held this pillow to him? Imagining it to be Levi? How many times has Eren pressed his hot skin, his burning flesh to this pillow in need of release? How many kisses has this pillow received in his place? How many of Eren’s tears has it soaked into itself as Eren fucked himself against it, moaning, panting, calling out for Levi-

Levi has grabbed the top of the pillow and is twisting, the fabric could rip and he could destroy the pillow but Eren looks to be crying in earnest, telling him to stop and Levi must relent, disgusted by himself.

Jealous over a stupid pillow…

Eren is burying his face against the pillow again, his body trembling and Levi feels his heart flop and his dick grow harder. Imagining again Eren naked in his own bed, writhing against the pillow, wanting, needing Levi to fill him- crying out for him- Levi hoists Eren up, pillow and bed sheets and all and tosses him back onto the bed. Eren clutching onto that pillow confusedly. Levi hadn’t found any of those condoms so-

“Do it. Eren. I want to watch.”

Eren blinks in confusion for a moment, before- he asks, hesitant, though he knows already-

“Do what sir?”

Levi pulls up a chair from the desk by the stereo and placing it by the bed he sits upon it, legs uncrossed for once, his erection tall and throbbing by his stomach as he looks at Eren on the bed Levi would have liked to fucked Eren against the mattress of but Eren doesn’t want that does he?

“Pretend I’m not here. And use that pillow as you usually do.”

Eren is biting at his bottom lip, the lip Levi wants to bite at.

Levi hangs an arm over the top of the chair, dangling it.

“Why did you bring that ridiculous thing with you to begin with Eren?”

Eren holds the pillow to his throbbing body, almost gently, straddling it already. He looks over the top of it to Levi, bashfully, shamefully.

“…I wasn’t sure if you might have to leave for work at some point, it is the weekend and all, even though it’s Valentine’s Day. I wasn’t sure if you really didn’t have some gig to work at, so I thought maybe I might need it… in an unfamiliar place- just in case…”

Eren had brought it because he thought Levi might leave at some point… even when today is… oh fuck.

Those cookies… the chocolate… Eren asking him if he had plans today…

Even so Levi still wants to see.

There’s no change in his expression, whatever sudden bout of emotion that’d been there the slightest, lost even to Eren who is hiding his face in the pillow.

Levi speaks.

“Or you don’t want me to watch?”

Eren is nodding that to be so but-

“Eren. Your ears are as red as the rest of you. Can I take it you’re lying?”

Eren is hiding behind the pillow, only his legs and arms wrapped around it as he’s lying on his side, the pillow’s back to Levi as he watches Eren completely still as he makes a choice.

Then Eren replies to him.

“I will do it. I will show you.”

Eren sits up and pushes the pillow beneath him, the sudden look of determination on his face making Levi’s heart hammer. Eren takes a breath before turning to him, asking him if it’s alright then, if Levi could turn up the volume on the stereo for him?

Levi does so, glancing over his shoulder to look at Eren who’s straddling in earnest his pillow. His eyes downcast as he sees nothing else but Levi’s image printed on it. Levi returns to his front row seat after turning up the volume of the music.

Eren is touching himself.

He’s pinching hard at his nipples until they’re red and raw, gasping and crying as he does so before moving his hands down his body to grip at his cock- his strokes himself briefly before he starts to lower his body and rub his stomach and erection against his pillow, his legs tightening around it. Levi watches as Eren’s hips move down and in, back and up. A rotating, gyrating motion, that’s bringing Eren pleasure as he moans and whimpers, before drawing his pillow close to him, that possessiveness as before etched into his movements, his touch. His arms circle around it as he kisses at it, rubbing his face against the soft fabric, sighing. Eren is imagining Levi fucking him but Levi has never seen Eren like this before, his hips moving rougher, faster, his hands clawing into the back of the pillow as Eren moans louder, obscenely. That golden gaze Levi is so enamored with, he has seen wild and hungry before but this- as if Eren is coveting him- as if Eren is devouring him and saying Levi is all his, that Levi is only his, that Levi is entirely Eren’s, all of him is Eren’s-

Levi grabs his own cock, and pumps it, he wants to put it inside Eren, he wants to grab Eren’s ass and shove himself in to the rim as soon as possible. A lot of his cum has seeped out of Eren’s asshole from all this rigorous activity and no doubt Eren is empty and ready for him again. Eren is trying to use his fingers, his ass up in the air as he tries to find a good angle for himself- it’s not working out, he can tell by the frustrated tears at the edge of Eren’s eyes now falling, out over that stupid pillow beneath his Eren, his Eren who is still holding it against his body, wanting to cum but can’t.

Suddenly Eren sits back onto his ass, the pillow still pressed to his heaving chest as he looks over it to Levi who’s still touching himself, the sweat covering his abs flicks onto the top of his lap as he beats himself off, looking over his Eren who is back to looking at him, looking at his cock- brow furrowed, so now he wants the real deal does he?

For a moment Levi considers making himself cum with Eren watching, but it’d be such a waste when Eren is all prepared for him and eager.

“Eren.”

Eren’s entire body starts on hearing Levi speak, the CD has long ended. Maybe that is the problem.

“It’s a little early for White Day, but how about I give you something delicious to eat in return now?”

Levi motions for Eren to come to him and there’s that hard thump again as Eren falls onto his knees from the bed, only instead of cowering this time he kneels between Levi’s knees, still hugging that stupid pillow to his torso and belly. Levi makes him wait up, despite that his mouth is already parted and his eyes are on one thing. Levi makes Eren place the pillow on the ground and under his bruised knees, so he has some padding as he sucks Levi off.

Eren is devouring him, still horny from humping against his pillow. He wastes no time to shove Levi’s cock into his mouth, and deep down his throat. Moans, muffled around Levi’s cock. There’s wet slurping as Eren presses his tongue against it and closing his lips around it, sucks and licks.

His hands are resting over the top of Levi’s thighs, finger tips pressing hard to the sweat slicked muscle there as he tries to take Levi in to the hilt. Levi has snarled his grip into Eren’s soft dark hair, staring at every flinching concentrated dip of his brow. Eren’s eyes.

Eren is panting around his cock as he slides it back, then farther down Eren’s throat, the head rubbing against the back of it, smearing the precum that’d been dripping a trail thick over Eren’s tongue again and again finally pouring down into it. Eren is gulping harshly and quickly to try to swallow all of Levi’s semen into himself.

Levi is still cumming even as he pulls Eren’s head back, he spills himself over Eren’s gaping mouth and chin, his throat and chest, his cum from earlier still seeping out of Eren’s ass, and stuck on the cheeks, smeared from when Eren sits down against his pillow, the underside of his erection pressed to it as he cums as well, all over his stomach and chest. It mixes with Levi’s semen that’s dripping down his face. It’s a mess, a mess that is all over Eren who looks a little distressed as he tries to rub all of the cum that’s over his body and face onto his fingers so he can lick it off and Levi’s too early White Day gift isn’t a waste. He mumbles as such, eyes hazy when Levi tries to grab at his wrists to stop him from cleaning himself up. Even when Levi tries to give his mouth a kiss Eren turns away. Telling Levi he can’t have any of what he’s given to Eren back. The pillow wasn’t the only thing (though it’d been Hanji… Levi decides to let it go, the pillow is smashed being Eren’s seat currently) that Eren refuses to give up.

Levi hoists Eren and his pillow back onto the bed, glad his legs don’t give out; for a moment on rising from his seat they feel weaker than usual. Levi goes to run a bath as Eren dozes from his climax and being covered in Levi’s.

He’s nearly fallen asleep in the hot water as Levi carries him into it and washes them both off. Levi checks the sheets too, before tucking Eren in, almost at a loss at what to do with the cum stained pillow. He settles for spot washing it with a towel since Eren has clasped onto it, half asleep, much to Levi’s annoyance. 

Before getting in aside Eren in the bed, he pops in another CD. Listening to it thinking about how Eren hears it- all these songs of monsters, deep woods, and the distant sea, only falling asleep when the sound of crashing waves is finally heard of from the last track. Eren’s peaceful face Levi has been gazing at for the entire duration of the CD.

\--

It’s in the dark of the night that Levi wakes.

There’s a weight over his stomach, as Eren leans over the bed to rummage in his bag. He crawls back from throwing himself over Levi heavily (thus waking him) in order to get whatever it is. For a moment Levi thinks Eren is looking for the condoms and is about to scold him for not waking him in a different manner but he soon realises that is not the case and that it’d not been Eren’s intention to begin with to wake him. He’d only wanted to get the pen and paper he has in his hands as quickly as possible.

By the dim starlight of the city sky he is writing furiously upon the paper of the notebook he so desperately and immediately needed. Levi wants to tell him that he should turn a light on, that’s what Eren is typically scolding Levi about should he be writing or reading in the dark. Levi has very good vision in the dark in comparison to most people (his age) but he always turns the light on, once Eren threatens Levi might need… glasses if he isn’t careful.

Eren is so concentrated on his work Levi doesn’t think he’s noticed at all that he woke him up, considering he’d drawn the blanket they’re beneath further up over Levi so it covers him better whilst Eren’s shoulders are bare and his skin prickling from the cool night air of the room. He’d taken that sort of care, thinking Levi to be sleeping even as he writes away. What it is-

Levi rolls over onto his stomach as Eren has and covers his shoulders, and his as well with the blanket. Looking over at what Eren is writing. Seeing the line of writing slant as Eren jumps in alarm and looks over to him.

“Sorry. Did I wake you?”

“You did. Pay it no mind.”

Eren nods and after glancing at him a little worriedly, goes back to writing at that speed demon pace. Levi hadn’t wanted to break Eren’s concentration but he’d looked a little cold.

For the while Eren is writing, Levi watches his face. There’s a slight frown on his lips from concentration, that familiar dip of his brow. Levi leans closer to Eren’s face, before he can’t help but read some of what Eren is writing… about the hunter that wants to meet the beast beyond the walls, how he wants to tear those walls down… and see the world past them, the hunter that learns he and the beast have been on the same side of the wall this whole time, and so with each other’s help- though they can’t destroy the wall- they climb it together-

Levi feels Eren jump, the writing screwed again, the first time Eren had figured it his own fault and so had not gotten angry, but this time it is truly Levi’s fault. Since Levi is mounting him beneath the blankets, entering him as he’d liked to earlier this night. Levi is impressed Eren had woke at such hour, with such energy given he’s impossible to wake in the morning and a deep sleeper.

Levi is atop of Eren, wrapping his arms under Eren’s chest and pressing a kiss and more to the back of his neck as he moves himself deeper into him, grunting as Eren whines about how hard it is to write like this. He still writes however, trying not to crumple the paper as Levi pounds harder into him. Eren turning his face away from his work to moan against the mattress as saliva spills out his mouth and he presses back against Levi’s cock as Levi beats him off, cumming into Levi’s hand as Levi fills him with his cum. Eren turns to look at Levi who lies heavily atop of him, almost shocked that Levi is even too tired to get a towel to wipe his hand off or to go wash it off in the washroom, but instead smears it over- hey that’s his pillow! Eren is annoyed but… Levi is holding him so gently despite being rough and forceful earlier. Nuzzling his face against Eren’s as he looks over what Eren has written some more. Eren drowsy again and scolding him… he’d not been finished.

The rest of the night is slept away.

\--

Eren had slept till past noon.

He’s just gotten out of the shower that he’d coldly locked Levi from access given he’d been awake for some time already, already showered, and had wiped Eren down (and his pillow, that now seems to be forgiven) much to Eren’s annoyance, as he’d slept.

Eren is sitting at the table Levi is working at, pouring over his own papers and reading, squinting in the bright light of day, at Eren’s crumpled night work. His handwriting even from such conditions is still more legible than how Levi’s writing is under all this light.

His feet are upon his seat, knees tucked in to his chest as his body cools from the heat of his shower, a towel thrown over his damp hair. He’d put on one of Levi’s shirts and nothing else yet, thoroughly distracted by the pizza Levi had ordered to the room while he’d been having his shower. He figures it’s an apology since there’s actually something green on the pizza and not only meat as he’d so often seen and scolded about when going to No Name’s place. One of the reasons he’d started bringing them meals when he could.

He’s munching on his third slice, noticing Levi had eaten only one before going into this studious mode Eren’s only seen on occasion when Levi composes music. It often came about in this sort of manner, they’d have sex, he’d sleep the day away and wake up to Levi rubbing his eyes and glaring at all these papers. It usually happens after a show (and after they fuck), this bout of creativity.

Eren has eaten nearly all the pizza when he feels Levi’s gaze on him. Levi almost looks a little surprised with how quickly Eren notices the attention on him, since he typically doesn’t. But only because Levi had to wear those bandages about his eyes, with them off- Eren is sharp. 

“What is it?” Eren is asking him. Cheese is dripping down his wrist.

Levi doesn’t bother to glance at the nearly empty box of pizza.

“You’re eating more than usual, you pregnant or something?”

Eren had been in mid swallow and almost chokes.

“If I am you’ll be taking full responsibility and supporting our children with all that rock star money of yours.”

“Oh? So you already know you’re pregnant with more than one child? Have you picked out names yet or do I get to name one of them?”

“Hmm, let’s see. Depending on if they’re a boy or girl- HEY.”

Levi has taken up the almost last slice of pizza and has joined Eren in his meal.

“I’m not naming any of them after my shitty relatives. That’s for sure. Eren.”

Eren has turned away from him, face scarlet. He’s eating this slice of pizza slowly, pointedly not looking at Levi or the pizza box. When he’s done eating it Levi slides the pizza box with its last slice to Eren, who accepts it without looking at Levi still.

Levi is looking over his work and Eren’s.

“Did you think of this only last night?”

Eren swallows what crust he’d been chewing, wiping his mouth and hands with the napkin Levi also pushes towards him.

“Yes. It was in my dream. But to be honest, I can’t quite remember the dream exactly.”

Levi is mulling over this.

“Dream?”

Much like how he-

Eren’s look is almost faraway, and for a moment Levi feels he has to run after Eren. Despite they are both seated at the same table, in the same space and neither is going anywhere without the other.

“I just remember it’d been a sad dream, a long dream. I say it was sad but… good things happened too. A lot happened. There’d been walls… but it’s probably because you were talking to me about how you scaled that fence. Levi.”

Levi says nothing.

Then-

“I like your vision a lot more. Eren. Climbing together… seems like there’s a higher chance of escaping. I suppose you won’t know if that’s actually so until it’s been done. You just have to hope that whatever happens, you won’t regret the results.”

Eren is nodding, expression suddenly soft that Levi is alarmed by the unfamiliarity of it though he’s seen it before- just not in this case… this case?

“Sorta like, me going ahead and writing out whatever the hell I felt like... thinking it’d be a good enough song for you. Well? What do you think? Can it be sung?”

Levi looks over the notes he’s attached to Eren’s words.

Eren has written this song from his heart- Eren has given up his heart to this song and so-

“It’s not bad. Eren.”

When Levi looks up- Eren’s eyes, gold and bright are upon him- his favourite thing, his most beloved treasure-

How can a sword be so sharp when it is not cold nor grey nor silver?

It is like how dawn is.

Eren tells him.

“There is no one else who can. As you believed in me to write you a song, I believe in you to hone it into something stronger than anything I could ever imagine.”

Eren has brought his legs down to set his feet upon the floor, rising, passing Levi as he goes in search of more clothes.

Levi grabs at his wrist, resolute.

“Eren.”

Eren turns to him and looks down on him, that nervous expression of before-

“Believe in yourself. Without fail, I will sing this song- whatever view you had after we climbed over that wall in your dream- I will be sure to make you recall.”

Eren twists his wrist from Levi’s grasp, holding his hand to his chest, his lips, thinking- before he turns, the bright light of day framing him as he looks at Levi with not only his fierce gaze, his whole being, his entire heart- the fringes of that dream still caught beneath his vision- he salutes.

“Yes, sir!”

\--

Levi may have joked about giving him an early White Day gift but he ends up giving Eren a belated one as well.

It’s a music box. It looks expensive. It was custom made, it had to be given the melody it plays is the song Eren had wrote. The melody one they’d both figured out. The start of the song begins with the chiming of this music box, like a distant memory to be recalled- this song is a power ballad, the likes of which that has not been heard by No Name before. Eren cries every time it is sung, a song they are all called to sing with as it became increasingly popular- this song like a tale out of an old legend- of a long battle and longer journey-

All after a single wall is climbed.

It seems rather simple.

He would create such a song wouldn’t he- Eren had been a little surprised by the popularity of the song. Many critics praised it, having the fervor of the old No Name but still being something new, fans were calling it the ballad of rebirth for its emotional intensity- noting that while it is Levi who is singing the song, it is like he is singing it in someone else's place- for someone's sake. The song had been a failure then Eren had told Levi, because he should have made a song that was made for Levi to sing but Levi had assured him otherwise. Eren had made this song for him, but also No Name, and no one else knows No Name more than Eren. They had struggled, and worked hard together. The song, is perfect. This song they'd not given a name to.

Eren is looking at his late White Day gift (wondering if he should give Levi a gift too, and joke about him needing to name one of their kids), more than a little pleased. This counts as a No Name exclusive too doesn’t it?

He’s looking it over, the roses all along the box as if they’re climbing and blooming over tiled stone, wall, opening the lid, inside is a changing scene of night and day and the vast land beyond, to the sea- on this recent album that’s been released the crashing of the waves that’d been distant on the previous album has grown louder and even the cry of gulls can be heard.

They are sitting on the top of the hood of Levi’s car, star gazing in the mountains. A blanket wrapped about them and that scarf tied in a knot around Eren’s neck again.

His hands are a little red, he’d wanted to open the gift with them bare.

Levi has removed his gloves as well, they are warm from having just been in those gloves. He stretches them over Eren’s cold bitten knuckles. The music box plays for how long Eren has wound it up…

“Eren. Tell me. This song. Was it in truth a hunter you met in your dreams that made it come about?”

Eren is smiling. Not at the stars above or those within the music box, but at Levi as he replies.

“What are you saying Levi? Did I not tell you I am the hunter this time?”

“Then, had it been the devil you met? That made you hear such- ow.”

It is Eren that has kicked Levi’s shin. So he’s picking up his bad habits too, not only Hanji’s? Well then. But it had been a shitty joke.

Eren’s gaze steadily drifts and it is to the sky he is looking up as he continues, with his eyes as golden as the setting sun they’d watched fall into the horizon.

“You are my liberator. It was you who enabled me to be free, and it was you who made it possible for me to climb that wall. If you had not been there… I would never have seen that view on the horizon.”

Eren has turned to look at Levi but Levi has turned away to look at the stars Eren had turned away from him for. Eren resumes looking at them. 

“But… you might be right, who else would have been strong enough other than the devil himself to carry such a beast- that hunter over the wall?”

The night isn’t as long as it used to be. Eren snoozes a little against Levi’s shoulder only woken by the coming of morning and Levi’s voice, warmer than sunlight, and any other time Eren has heard it before- he is woken by it like a kiss might do for a sleeping princess-

_The real world is waiting for us… beyond these walls, an endless sky- an unbound sea-_

Eren closes his eyes to Levi’s voice, letting it wash over him like the incoming tide of the ocean at his feet.

Opening them as the bright light of dawn hits both he and Levi, that vision they’d seen from atop the wall they see once again.

It will not be the last time.


End file.
